The Dog Days of Tea

Monk’s Blend is great when chilled or with ice. (Photo by A.C. Cargill, all rights reserved)

You’ve no doubt heard of the Dog Days of Summer. But what about the Dog Days of Tea? No? Well, let me enlighten you. First, a bit about what the Dog Days of Summer are.

Date-wise, these Dog Days occur mainly in the months of July and August here in the Northern Hemisphere. They are typically the warmest and often the most sultry days of the year. The name “Dog Days” comes from Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (big dog). This star is so bright that ancient Romans thought that, like the Sun, our planet was heated by it. In Summer, Sirius rises and sets generally at the same time as the Sun does. So, it seemed that the extra heat during these days came from this “dog star.” The period of time (20 days before and 20 days after the conjunction) are named “dog days.” after that star. Generally, this is from around July 3 through about August 11. The extra heat, though, comes from the earth’s tilt on its axis.

So, what are the dog days of tea? These are the days when iced tea reigns supreme. Of course, the ice doesn’t last long in such high temperatures, so you need lots of it, which also means that you need to steep the tea up a bit extra strong. The melting ice will dilute the tea to a fairly tolerable strength.

Some of us are totally committed to hot tea, so our Dog Day Tea Time is held indoors where a sufficiency of air conditioning is available. And since, like many others, we consider a generous supply of scones, biscuits, and other goodies to be proper accompaniments, this is another reason to stay indoors. It avoids bugs (especially wasps and bees) being attracted to our feast and helps keep our appetites sharp.

When the cooler temperatures return in the Fall, we can once again contemplate that nice outdoor setting for our tea time. Until then, we’ll stay safe and cool indoors. Enjoy!